BBQ at Legal Beans: It’s a crime not to savor this out-of-the-way barbecue joint

Chris Escudero’s experience on 9/11 — he says he was on the last PATH train into the World Trade Center that day — caused him to walk away from his job as an attorney.

“I wanted to change my life,” he says.

He and his wife Mimi bought a former candy store on Grand Street in Jersey City and turned it into a coffee shop known as Legal Grounds. Then they bought a space on Garden Street in Hoboken; that became Legal Beans Cafe.They then opened BBQ at Legal Beans on Division Street in Jersey City.

It’s a funky-looking joint in a neighborhood of car repair shops, with a green awning and “BBQ” painted in red on the side. There’s no seating inside, but there is a barbecue pit. That’s where whole pigs “Cebu style” — Mimi Escudero is Filipino — are cooked. Whole pigs are available on 48-hour notice, and are also available on weekends by the pound.

Escudero and staff also do a brisk catering business, with 95 percent of their clientele pharmaceutical reps and firms.

You may know where I stand on good barbecue in North Jersey; it’s practically nonexistent. BBQ at Legal Beans stands out for its charming lack of atmosphere — “hole-in-the-wall” doesn’t quite do it justice — and the espresso dry rub.

That’s right, espresso. Escudero roasts his own beans, and an espresso rub seemed a “logical ingredient.”

It’s an intriguing blend of smoky and roasty; if it packed a bit of spice and heat, it would be great barbecue.

Portions are ample. The brisket ($15, with choice of side) is surprisingly good, juicy and terrifically tender. Easily the best item of those sampled.

The pulled pork sandwich ($8) manages to be drippy without being sodden and soppy, like most pulled pork sandwiches I’ve encountered.

If you blanch at the sight of charred or burned meat — I don’t — you may look away when the smoked chicken arrives ($10 for a half chicken with one side, $15 for a whole chicken with one side). But it’s still tasty and mildly spicy.

Good ribs, too, although the meat tasted as if it either had been sitting around for a while or re-heated. Ribs are $15 for a half rack with side, $22 for a whole rack with side.

I didn’t pick up any spice in the spicy/sweet mashed potatoes ($4), but they’re an enjoyable, creamy-smooth confection.